


can't take my eyes off you

by gendrybeesly



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Modern Westeros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 13:51:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19152337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gendrybeesly/pseuds/gendrybeesly
Summary: modern gendrya au.it's jon's wedding and arya can’t stop staring at her brother’s hot friend who just so happens to be the one walking her down the aisle in the wedding party.





	1. rehearsal dinner

When Jon had asked her to be one of Ygritte’s bridesmaids, Arya felt hesitant at first, but of course she would do anything for her favourite brother.

 

That’s how she found herself sat at the head table of Jon and Ygritte’s rehearsal dinner in a marquee at the Stark family estate, with a glass of champagne in her hand. Somehow, Sansa, who had acquired the maid of honour position, had persuaded her to wear a strapless black cocktail dress that ended just above her knees, which she felt was just a little bit too tight for her liking, even if it did compliment her petite frame quite nicely.

 

Jon emerged from his chair, tapping on the side of his glass to get the room’s attention,

 

“Evening everyone, I just wanted to start off by saying how amazing it is to have you all here, even if there’s a few people that aren’t with us,” Arya’s heart panged for her mother and father, who had tragically passed in a car accident four years ago, “for what I expect is going to be the most important day of my life, going off what you’ve all told me that is.” Arya grinned to herself as the guests chuckled, Jon always had a way with making people laugh.

 

“I’m not going to stand here and be all sappy about how much I love Gritte, one because I know for sure that I won’t make it through without crying and two because you all already know the way she makes me feel, so I guess what I’m saying is that I’m one lucky bastard to be surrounded by so much love tonight. If you’ll all join me in raising a glass, here’s to the future Mrs Snow.”, the room erupted in cheers for the bride-to-be, who placed a tender kiss to her fianceé’s cheek as he sat back down beside her.

 

He handed the microphone to Arya, who sat on his other side. She rose and took a breath before starting her speech,

 

“I know I can’t speak for everyone but I for sure never expected my big brother to find someone who was willing to put up with his shit until the end of time, and then he met Ygritte!”, earning a hearty laugh from Ygritte who just smiled widely and shook her head.

 

“I remember the first time Jon brought her home to meet the family, none of us believed him when he said he had a girlfriend, and you can imagine our shock when she arrived and happened to be ten times as amazing as Jon had relentlessly described her over the phone! I’m so over the moon for you guys, to Jon and Ygritte!”

 

A chorus of cheers once again sounded around the marquee and Arya sat back down as more speeches were given to the happy couple.

 

After Robb had finished telling a story about the time he found Ygritte and his brother in a particularly uncompromising position, which made a drunk Theon howl with laughter, the microphone was handed to a man who Arya could hardly recognise, Jon’s childhood best friend Gendry. He stood from the table, pushed back his broad shoulders and cleared his throat,

 

“He’s only gone and done it hasn’t he?” a cheer sounded from one of the back tables from a tall ginger man who Arya knew to be Jon’s work friend Tormund,

 

“I can’t even begin to describe how perfect these two are for each other. I was introduced to Ygritte as Jon’s girlfriend a few years back during a pub quiz night and of course, she out shone us all, getting every single question on the rugby union, and that’s saying something. I’m happy that Jon is no longer a mopey bugger who calls me at 2am because he’s convinced he’s going to die alone. Proved yourself wrong there mate! Massive congratulations both of you, to the happy couple!”

 

Arya sat staring idly at the man stood at the opposite end of the table, whom she had once crushed on when he was just a clumsy teenager. He’d been the one who helped her and Jon sneak out of the house to go for midnight drives across town and bought her alcohol from the off-license when she asked him nicely enough.

 

He’d changed a lot in the years since she’d last seen him, no longer did his thick black hair lay pressed against his sweaty forehead, but instead it was short and pushed back in a way that opened his face up. He carried himself differently too, his aura of confidence only made him more attractive in Arya’s mind.

 

She watched as he sat down so the catering staff could begin serving, unable to tear her eyes away from his chiseled jaw until he glanced to his right and caught sight of her. Arya sheepishly raised her hand to wave at him, blushing slightly at the smirk forming on his lips at how she was practically drooling in her seat at the sight of him.

 

,,,

 

Gendry settled himself into his chair for the rehearsal meal, the room of guests having turned away from his attention as they had been whilst he gave a short speech for the bride and groom. He looked around the marquee for the first time properly that night, noting the strings of fairy lights cascading down the tent walls with photos attatched sporadically along them.

 

The catering team served the first course to the room - a soup of some sorts which Jon had been raving about from his taster session the previous week for all of the food preparations. From the corner of his eye he saw a familiar face looking his way at the other end of the table - Arya.

 

When he was younger he couldn’t help but crush on his best friend’s youngest sister, no matter how much drama it could cause with Jon. They used to run around town together in the middle of the night as a trio, laughing at god knows what and drinking cheap mixed drinks in the campsite in the woods on the Stark family estate.

 

Gendry’s feelings for Arya had started off innocently enough, but at some point he stopped seeing her as a friend but instead as a budding young woman who’s smile would stay at the back of his mind and kept him up at night. He had watched as she grew into her womanly figure and had one too many accidental hard-ons when they used to go skinny dipping together in the lake next to her house.

 

Now she sat a few feet away from him, and often he met her steely grey eyes as she looked up on occasion from her food, blushing and returning to her conversation with Bran.

 

The night seemed to move on quicker than Gendry had expected it to, and he soon stood at the edge of the dance floor space which had formed after the dining tables were pushed aside and more upbeat music was coming through the speakers. 

 

On the opposite side of the dance floor stood Arya, who was filming while Theon and Robb attempted to do cartwheels and fell into a heap on top of each other in the process. Gendry watched as she laughed to herself at the mess of limbs on the linoleum floor, put her phone on the table behind her and then held out a hand to a disgruntled Robb.

 

Gendry wasn’t sure when he started to move from his place, but he soon found himself in front of the youngest stark sister, gesturing to shake her hand.

 

“A handshake? Come on Waters, I’ve seen you naked give me a fucking hug!” she exclaimed and pulled him into her embrace, memories of youth flooded into Gendry’s mind at her mention of their teenage years.

 

“It’s just been so long I wasn’t sure if you’d recognise me” he grumbled into her hair and pulled away, the space between them having grown smaller since he first approached her.

 

“If I’m being honest I didn’t at first, then again I haven’t exactly kept my teenage aesthetic going either” she gestured to her attire and snorted, suddenly Gendry felt much more at ease checking out the way her dress clung to her body in all the right places.

 

“Well you know, you look… good” He flashed her a smile, their eyes locking.

 

“Thanks, so do you.” she grinned back at him.

 

“Fancy a drink?” she said, gesturing to the empty glass he held “it’s an open bar! Come on and we can have a proper catch up”. Gendry paused, but before he could respond she had already taken his hand in hers and was directing them towards the bar.

 

 

They sat together at one of the emptier tables after retrieving their drinks, laughing and sharing stories of what they had been up to since they last saw each other.

 

Occasionally, Gendry noticed how Arya would rest her hand on top of his and trace small circles onto it as she spoke of her time studying abroad, and they way her face lit up when he asked her to teach him some Braavosi.

 

“Okay let me think,” she proceeded to babble in the language so foreign to him, the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile as she finished.

 

“So, what does that mean?” he trailed, “let me guess, ‘oh Gendry, how I’ve missed you. I do wish you would take me away from this place and ravish me!’ any good?” he held his hand to his forehead dramatically and laughed.

 

“Not even close, it means, “your smile dances across your face which makes your eyes enticing”. But if you’re serious I’ll take you up on that offer of getting out of here.”

 

Gendry’s breath hitched, not expecting her to be so forward. Seizing the moment, he stood from the table and took her by the hand. They slipped out of the marquee and rushed to the renovated garage building, where they could find privacy from the crowd of guests.

 

Arya backed him against the brick wall, pushed back some hair that had fallen into his line of vision and crashed her lips onto his. Years of hunger and want finally reached a breaking point within him, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as they fumbled toward the small garage toilet.

 


	2. putting his foot in it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get hot and heavy in a cramped bathroom.

The bathroom door closed and Arya was immediately pushed up against the back of it while Gendry placed hot kisses to her neck, his hands roaming from her ass to wrap his arms completely around her waist.

 

“God Arya, you’re so fucking hot” he moaned into her hair, grinding his hips against hers, his hard length nudging against her thigh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his short black hair, tugging lightly, earning another throaty moan as he pulled away from attacking her collar bone to bring their lips together.

 

Lifted by his strong arms, Arya was sat down on the counter next to the sink basin, moving her legs apart as he stepped closer in between them. Joining her ankles around his back, a surge of heat rushed to her core.

 

“I want you” she moaned, not expecting the words to come out with such urgency. Gendry growled low, and went to unclasping her bra at the the back, and pulled it away from her breasts which had sprung free, since her strapless dress had ridden down. Arya made a mental note to thank her ever persistent sister for choosing such an easy-access garment for her to wear.

 

Arya yelped in pleasure as Gendry took her left breast in his mouth, biting gently onto her nipple. She immediately tugged harder at his hair, which made him pull back. “Sorry, got carried away-”, she cut him off by latching onto his neck, sucking and nibbling at his flesh “nothing to worry about” she said in between the kisses she peppered under his ear, “just never thought I’d have my teenage crush pressed up against me in a bathroom is all”.

 

She stopped, and slowly pulled away realising what she had just admitted to him. “What I meant to say there was-”

  

“You really used to have a crush on me?” he cut her off this time, with a look in his eyes that she just quite couldn’t figure out.

 

“Arya look at me” this time he gently cupped her cheek, bringing her face back into his line of view.

  

She cowered, leaned her forehead on his shoulder and mumbled “Don’t make me say it again”

 

“You know I used to fancy the absolute pants off you too, right?”

 

She searched for some sort of glint in his eyes, signalling that this might all be a dream and that she’d wake up soon, instead he just crashed his lips back onto hers and kissed her like his life depended on it. He started again with a long line of kisses down her jaw and towards her collar bone, making her roll her eyes into the back of her head as he sucked on a particular spot under her ear and whined at the feeling.

 

Just as she felt Gendry’s wet tongue begin to circle her other nipple and her small hands flew to his belt, a sudden rattle at the bathroom door handle jolted them out of their state of pure ecstasy.

 

“Who’s hoggin’ the loo? I’m busting for a piss out here!” slurred a clearly agitated Theon.

 

Arya looked frantically at the blue eyed man stood in between her legs and quickly pulled her dress back up “it’s just me Theon, I’ll be out in a second!” she called, gesturing for Gendry to help her down from the counter which he did by scooping her up and not so elegantly placed her on the ground.

 

“What the fuck are we going to do?” he whispered to her, smoothing out his shirt which had become partially untucked in their tryst.

 

Arya reached for her discarded bra and put it back on, pointed at Gendry and then out the window, “go out that way and back to the house, i’ll meet you there in five”

 

“Are you insane?” he questioned frantically while also starting to climb onto the toilet seat as to make his escape.

 

Arya just shooed him out, watching as he struggled to get his footing once back on the ground, they locked eyes once again, he winked before he made off towards the main building. She looked back at her disheveled apperance in the bathroom mirror, ran her fingers through her hair, gained some sort of composure and opened the door.

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting Theon” she babbled, and rushed down the corridor before he could reply.

 

Arya started towards the house, still with shaky breaths as the realisation of what had just happened dawned upon her. Despite having convinced herself a long time ago that her feelings for Gendry were simply based around her rampant teenage hormones, they all had come flooding back once she was reunited with the man in question. And for him to reciprocate? It was like a dream come true. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling, her cheeks began to hurt from the wide grin plastered on her face.

 

Just as she went to walk up the steps to the front entrance of the house, she heard someone calling her name, Sansa.

 

“Arya I need your help, it’s Ygritte.” she called, running her hands through her auburn locks. Arya wasn’t really listening though, her head still clouded with the feeling of Gendry’s body pressed against hers and the way his tongue worked at her nipples.

 

“I’ll be there now, just uh- need to change my shoes” Arya called back mindlessly as she opened the front door to search for Gendry.

 

“No Arya, you need to come now!” Sansa marched towards her, as she approached Arya noticed the way her sister’s lips were pursed together, which she recognised as a sign of deep tension..

 

“Hey calm down, what’s going on?” Arya turned to her sister who was now marching back in the direction of the marquee, where the music had stopped very abruptly.

 

“She’s saying she doesn’t want to get married all of a sudden, cold feet malarky” Sansa hissed, “How selfish can one person be really?”

 

Arya shook her head in disbelief, but before she could respond, the bride sped past them out of the tent, with Jon following closely behind, pleading for her to stop,

 

“Oh come on Gritte, let’s talk about this okay?”

 

“I have nothing to say to you Jon Snow, I knew this was a bad idea. I knew you still had feelings for her.” The fiery redhead stopped in her tracks, her arms folded over her chest. Arya examined her face and noticed the thick black lines of mascara painted underneath her eyes - Jon’s really put his foot in it this time, she thought to herself.

 

,,,

 

Gendry paced outside Arya’s bedroom, it had been thirteen minutes since they were interrupted by Theon and there he was - waiting for her to reappear so they could pick up where they left off in the cramped bathroom. “Fuck it” he thought to himself, and made his way back outside the house to rejoin the party.

 

Before he could make it outside, the front door of the Stark house was yanked open by Jon who then slammed it shut after he entered, he huffed and leant against the oak, sliding down it slowly. Gendry went to question his friend’s behaviour, but Jon burst into tears and he was left glued to the spot- only able to muster out a choked “You alright mate?” to which Jon lifted his head and gave him a look to say “what the fuck do you think”.

 

Their short exchange was ended quickly as a hammering of fists started against the large wooden door,

 

“Open the fucking door Jon,” bellowed Arya from the other side, “or I swear to God I’ll kick it down and we both know I’m strong enough."

 

Stood awkwardly by the bottom of the stairs, Gendry was left to watch as Jon lifted himself from the ground and opened the door, allowing Arya to barrel into the lobby with Sansa close behind her, who immediately wrapped Jon in a warm embrace.

 

He locked eyes with the short brunette and shot her a questioning look, raising his eyebrows and gesturing towards Jon who was clung onto Sansa like his life depended on it.

 

Arya walked towards him and started to explain, “Ygritte left, said it wasn’t the right time. She’s called off the wedding” she sighed, “it’s all a fucking mess.”

 

She took his hand and they plopped down on the sofa next to where Sansa sat Jon down to regulate his breathing, his head in her lap as she stroked his hair and tried desperately to comfort him. Arya wrapped Gendry's arm around her shoulders, he didn't care that two of Arya's siblings were in the room with them, he only wanted to hold her.

 

They stayed in silence and each watched closely as sadness enveloped Jon’s face over time, his brows becoming more furrowed every second. With Arya’s head on his shoulder, Gendry traced small circles onto her hand which she had placed gently on his chest, hoping to relieve her tension.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will be updating every other day, any feedback is welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> will be updating every other day, any feedback is welcome!


End file.
